San Francisco has been providing wireless Internet service in Union Square, a public park in the heart of the city’s commerce and cultural district. Visitors with a wireless laptop computer (or other wireless device, like a cell phone) and a web browser can access the Internet from anywhere in the park area. In a city press release, Mayor Gavin Newsom says he believes technology can improve the lives of all citizens, especially through the tremendous amount of information on the Internet. “Now, even more citizens have convenient, free access to that information in one of San Francisco’s vibrant public areas.” The Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development is partnering with the city’s Department of Telecommunications and Information Services, the Recreation and Parks Department, Unwire Now, a local wireless service provider, and Terabeam Wireless, a company that provides extended-range, license-free wireless data equipment and study examining e-government efforts by state.
